1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of containment berms, and more specifically, to a containment berm with internal “L” braces that are removably coupled to a top rail extending around the upper perimeter of the berm and also to a flexible, durable and chemically resistant material that forms the body of the berm.
2. Description of the Related Art
Oil drilling rigs use large, portable secondary containment berms to contain tank farms consisting of multiple 400 BBL (16,800 gallon) upright tanks. These conventional containment berms are typically comprised of a heat-welded geomembrane liner that is configured to provide a three-foot sidewall supported by “A” braces on the exterior side of the berm. These “A” braces connect to segments of steel rod that run partially through the hem of the geomembrane liner and that are not connected to one another.
This type of system suffers from a number of disadvantages, however. With the braces on the outside of the berm, there is virtually no added weight on the geomembrane liner itself, allowing the walls of the berm to blow in and disfigure the berm. This leads to unnecessary man hours constantly pulling the “A” braces and berm walls back out and into place. Multiple sand/weight bags are required with these types of systems, which is yet another drawback. As noted above, the rods that run through the hem are not interconnected; therefore, there is no corner-to-corner support, resulting in weak spots in the event of a spill. Another problem with this type of system is the lengthy set-up and take-down times.
Yet another issue with the “A”/exterior brace-style berms arises in the winter months. With snowfall and freezing temperatures, the braces become frozen to the ground. If the braces are frozen hard enough, special equipment is required to remove them. Lastly, the outside edges of these containment berms are heavy human traffic areas. These exterior bracing systems create unwanted tripping hazards and the potential for injury to person or property.
The present invention overcomes all of the disadvantages of conventional secondary containment berms of the type described above. With the braces on the interior of the berm, all of the weight of the geomembrane wall structure and aluminum and steel framework that support the wall is on the berm itself. This prevents the berm walls/framework from blowing in and reduces the need for sand/weight bags. The present invention internal “L” berm has a framework system that consists of galvanized tubing that runs continuously through the hem and that connects to corner braces. This solid frame, which completely encompasses the wall perimeter, adds much needed strength and helps ensure a more solid and sound berm. Furthermore, set-up and take-down time are reduced considerably by having just one continuous tube for each wall length. Because the berm is braced on the inside, the potential for human/equipment damage is eliminated, and there is no possibility of the braces/framework freezing to the ground.
Prior art containment systems include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,775 (Kroger, 1988) entitled “Dike Assembly”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,300 (Pildysh, 1992) entitled “Containment System”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,175 (Van Romer, 1994) entitled “Foldable Spill Collector Container”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,233 (Van Romer, 1998) entitled “Foldable Spill Collector Container”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,091 (Van Romer, 1998) entitled “Configurable Containment System and Wall Strip”; U.S. Pat. No. RE39,971 (Van Romer, 2008) entitled “Portable Containment”; U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2007/0278225 (Van Romer) entitled “All-Terrain Berm”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,920 (Hallsten, 1997) entitled “Modular Containment System for Hazardous Materials”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,461 (Shaw et al., 1999) entitled “Liquid Containment Apparatus With Flexible Side Wall”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,686 (Shaw et al., 2000) entitled “Collapsible Liquid Containment Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,495 (Starheim, 2001) entitled “Portable Environmental Containment System”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,014,391 (Starheim et al., 2006) entitled “Portable Environmental Containment System”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,880,721 (Barrett et al., 2005) entitled “Portable Containment Berm System”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,874,764 (Fossen et al., 2011) entitled “Secondary Containment System for an Above-Ground Petroleum Storage Tank”; U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2012/0187119 (McAtarian et al.) entitled “Collapsible Containment Berm”; U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2012/0193369 (Beak et al.) entitled “Liquid Containment Apparatus With Flexible Wall Supports”; U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2013/0017018 (Allen et al.) entitled “Liquid Containment System”; U.S. Patent Application. Pub. No. 2013/0164082 (Stein) entitled “Modular, Dynamically Sized and Shaped, Industrial-Liquid-Containment System and Methods of Use”; and International Patent Application Pub. No. WO 02/092442 (Moffat et al.) entitled “Portable Berm Device With Snap-Foam Features.” Examples of prior art bracing systems include U.S. Pat. No. 7,036,676 (Christensen, 2006 entitled “Foldable Water Tank”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,938,291 (Christensen, 2011) entitled “Foldable Water Tank With Shielded Hinges”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,506,777 (Ramp, et al., 2009) entitled “Closable Containment Wall Berm Support”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,418,414 (Nelson, 2013) entitled “Swimming Pool Brace Assembly”; and U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2010/0028081 (Barrett et al.) entitled “Containment Berm Bracket.” None of these inventions provides the structural and functional advantages of the present invention, as discussed more fully below.